You'll Get No 'Beef' About Winning From Hager

May 02, 1986|by DON BOSTROM, The Morning Call

There was plenty to "Beef" about at the Nazareth Raceway last Sunday night.

Veteran racer Tom "Beef" Hager of Easton, who proudly bills himself as the country's heaviest and winningest racer, shook off all sorts of problems to capture the 30-lap modified feature in brilliant fashion.

Hager, who tips the scales at 350 pounds, chalked up his 37th career win at the half-mile Nazareth track where he has been averaging about 20 shows per year since 1971.

"I've been 'Beef' since I was 14 years old," Hager said. "My true fans and true close friends know me as Beef. I was always a big guy and my favorite food is steak and shrimp. I love eating hamburgers and beef. But, at 350 pounds, racing takes a lot out of you. I am giving up 150 pounds and some 40- to-50 horsepower to the other racers. But, we enjoy it."

Hager also enjoys winning. Sunday's triumph over Richie Smith, Frank Cozze and Doug Hoffman made him a new man.

"We had been having some problems lately, so we went back to the basics that helped us win 35 races in 1980 and 1981," the 36-year-old Hager said.

"It's a good sign," Hager admitted. "We ran the first three shows and had engine trouble. So, we went back to basics. We didn't do anything out of the ordinary. We rebuilt the engine and checked it over. The bottom line is if we finish, we are going to wind up in the top five usually."

Hager had engine trouble on Saturday night at Flemington. Just about everything else went wrong at Nazareth, however, on Sunday.

"We got there late because of motor troubles," he said. "A cam shaft broke, we pulled it apart. As a result we missed the warmups. That made the heat race a warm-up, which is tough because everyone isone shot ahead of you. The car was working well so we made few changes.

Hager started in the fourth slot.

"That was was a very good spot for me because the track was rough and I got right out in front to set the pace. We lost our power steering pump early and ran the whole race without it," Hager said. "When the race was over I felt like someone who had been shooting target practice and having a recoil in the shoulders. But the excitement and adrenalin carried me through the pain. When the checkered flag fell, my arms were in such agony I didn't know how to turn around to get to victory lane. To give you an idea of what it was like, picture trying to steer your car once the steering wheel has locked. That's hard for 30 laps.

"But I needed something like that to get me back in shape," he said. "It showed me I still have the willpower. And, considering all we had to overcome to win, I think this is a good sign for the year."

Hager considers Nazareth his "lucky" track.

"My car doesn't have to be 100 percent there," he said, "because I know I am going to be 150 percent. I know the track better than anyone and I drive it straighter than anyone. If I am in front I am hard to pass. Normally I like to run the bottom of the track, but on Sunday I changed my style and ran through the holes in the middle of the track. I was in the groove."

Hager shows no signs of slowing down. "I thought my prime was five years ago," he said. "But the way I feel now, I don't know. I have been racing for a living since 1975, and I can't complain. It's been good to me and I want to continue. I don't want to run and get in someone's way or make problems for the younger or more aggressive drivers."

Hager credits the continued faith of the Warren Pallet Company, his sponsor, for helping him get through tough times. And, he has a crackerjack crew including his son, Tommy, his wife Korena, Andy Causa, Wayne Carpenter and Scott Merritt.

In fact, it won't be long before "Beef's" 15-year-old son is competing on the area tracks.

"He would love to race but I won't let him yet," Hager said. "I went into racing on my own with no help from dad, who was not interested in it. I want to help my son get on the right track and learn the trade."

Young Tommy Hager couldn't have found a better teacher.

* * *

Gary Grim of Schnecksville became the third different driver to win a sportsman modified feature as he took the checkered flag in the 25-lap feature at Grandview Speedway last Saturday.

In the companion 20-lapper for late models, 54-year-old truck driver Ray Brinckman of Unity notched his third win in a row.

Craig Von Dohren of Oley edged Ronnie Tobias down the front stretch of the final lap when Tobias blew the motor in his MXL after he had led the entire race in the Penn National Speedway opener in Grantville.

Modified Twin 20's will comprise the program at Flemington Fair Speedway this Saturday. Ken Breen and Billy Osmun, last year's winners, will be challenged in this weekend's modified feature doubleheader. Warmups begin at 5 o'clock on the Route 31 facility.

A.J. Foyt, the only four-time winner of the Indy 500, is the initial point leader in the second annual Porsche Cup North America competition for Porsche drivers.

Foyt has parlayed seconds in the Daytona and Miami IMSA GT races into a 72 point total. That heads a group of three drivers - Derek Bell, Bob Akin and Bob Wollek - who are tied for second with 54 points.

To qualify for this award, a driver must drive a Porsche or Porsche- powered car in certain FIA, SCCA, IMSA, SCORE and HDRA races.